JISC Technical Standards

Jon Duke

Andy Jordan

Purpose

• Pull together the JISC’s guidance

• Identify a way forward– Tie in with allied bodies

• Propose maintenance arrangements

Scope

• All services and projects

• Existing guidance documents

• Appraisal of other work such as Becta, NOF-digitise, the NLN and e-GIF

Our approach

• Initially consult with key stakeholders

• Then consultation process • email list of ~ 70 volunteers from the JISC, its

community and other organisations • area on JISC web site to post documents for list

members

Key foci of standards activity

• UKOLN, CETIS, TechDis

• e-Government Unit – e-GIF and Technical Standards Catalogue– Parliamentary mandate for public sector use

Conclusions - 1

• Favour open standards but – recognise sometimes only proprietary ones

available

• Link JISC maintenance process to e-GIF

• Use checklist based approach for appraising standards – Minimise risk

Conclusions - 2

• Tools should be used to verify compliance of developed applications to standards

• Metadata of JISC projects to include statement of compliance/non-compliance

• Use SOA approach to organise presentation of standards guidance

SOA approach

Presentation functionality (delivery channels etc.)

Common functionality (e.g. authentication/authorisation, resource

discovery, metadata, content management, digital library)

Infrastructure (e.g. JANET)

eLearning application functionality

eResearch application functionality

Key audiences are

Manager DeveloperJISC development projects

Institutions and organisations in communityJISC funded service providers

Third party vendors

Guidance publication

• Initially on the web

• Intention of moving to an XML based approach – to harmonise with any similar moves made by

e-GIF

Maintenance

• Policy should rest with the JISC– Annual Review

• UKOLN should manage the process – 6 monthly Review– Subcontracting parts out

Publish draft

Consult publicly

Amend Publish

Prepare next version

UKOLN pulls drafts together

Publish draft

Consult community Amend

PublishSub-contractors work on draft

Write guidance

Comm

ent

s plea

se

Key Issues

• Open Standards

• Maintenance

• Presentation

• Tying to eGIF